French Embassies in Alert Over Cartoons Depicting Mohammed

Despite the Government begging that they do otherwise, Charlie Hebdo—a French satirical magazine—has published a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed, jumping face first into the inciting incident of the violent protests that are raging across the Middle East. In response, France has closed its embassies and shut down schools throughout the country, as a precautionary message against protests. Many Muslims see any depiction of Mohammed as blasphemous, particularly when it's done so in mockery, as evidenced by the ultraconversative Muslims who have vented their rage over The Innocence of Muslims film. Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Paris Grand Mosque, called the cartoon a "a disgraceful and hateful, useless and stupid provocation," but added that "We are not like animals of Pavlov to react at each insult." The magazine's editor-in-chief, Gerard Biard, defended the decision to run the cartoons by saying, "These publications will not cost lives. Who killed people? We are not killing people, I'm sorry. We are not the violent ones. We are just journalists." Journalists. Cartoonists. Same thing ...